England's match against Spain on Sunday evokes the summer of 1984, when Dave Sexton's team became the first side to retain the European Under-21 Championship after beating Spain 3-0 on aggregate in the final.

Their triumph was wonderfully emphatic. England won five out of six games in their group, thrashed France 7-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals and then beat Italy, whose side included Roberto Mancini, 3-2 in the semi-finals.

In the final, they won comfortably against a strong Spanish team that included Andoni Zubizarreta, Emilio Butragueño and Míchel.

A neatly taken goal from the Sheffield Wednesday right-back Mel Sterland gave England a 1-0 win in the first leg in Seville on 17 May. The Guardian said their performance was "marvellously composed" and that they were "perfect ambassadors for England".

They finished the job a week later with a 2-0 win at Bramall Lane. Mark Hateley scored a stunning volley just after half-time, his sixth goal in the knockout stages, and, two minutes later, Howard Gayle's tame shot slithered under Zubizaretta.

Spain had a slightly more cynical football philosophy in those days and they did not go quietly: an elbow from Patxi Salinas left Hateley with loose teeth and three stitches in his lip.

Hateley would complete a fairytale summer by making his England debut and joining Milan. Mark Chamberlain and Nick Pickering had already made their full debuts, and 11 of the 17 players involved in the final would ultimately graduate to the senior team.

This, however, was no golden generation. Only three players reached 10 caps: Hateley, the Norwich defender Dave Watson and Nottingham Forest's waspish midfielder Steve Hodge. Those players are well remembered; others, such as Peter Hucker, Kevin Brock and Mich D'Avray, less so. As part of the last England side to win this competition, however, they have one up on many more famous names.